1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vent grill for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a vent grill for a vehicle, having a simple structure and a simplified manufacturing process, of which installation space decreases and conditioned air can be extensively supplied.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, in order to maintain inner air at a state suitable for a driver, most of vehicles are provided with air conditioning units, such as an air conditioner for supplying cooled air into the interior space, and a heater for supplying heated air. These air conditioning units are connected with ducts so as to introduce conditioned air into the interior space. Naturally, the duct is provided with a vent grill for controlling amount and direction of air as supplied as well as finally supplying the conditioned air into the interior space of the vehicle, at one end thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a vent grill is provided with a housing 1 inserted into or fixed to one end of a duct. On the front of the housing 1, there is provided a front member 2 for forming a front portion of the vent grill. An opening and shutting unit 3 for supplying or blocking air controlled by an air conditioner is operably installed in the housing 1. The opening and shutting unit 3 is provided with a rotational knob 3a rotatably installed in the front member 2, a connector 3b movably connected with one end of the rotational knob 3a, and an opening and shutting plate 3c rotatably installed in the connector 3b so as to control a supply of conditioned air. Also, a horizontal grill member 4 is installed at the front member 2 so as to filter air introduced through the housing 1 and control air direction upward or downward. The respective horizontal grill members 4 are connected with each other through an interlocking member 4a, and thus they are interlocked along the same direction. Further, Inside the housing 1, there is installed a plurality of vertical grill members 5 for controlling left and right supply direction of the conditioned air. The respective vertical grill members 5 are also connected with each other through an interlocking member 5a, and thus they are interlocked along the same direction. Among the vertical grill members 5, the central vertical grill member 5 is connected with a knob 6 for controlling the respective vertical grill members in left and right directions. This knob 6 is slidingly installed at the central horizontal grill member among the horizontal grill members for stable movement toward left and right.
According to the above constitution, a driver can control supply of conditioned air in the vent grill using the rotational knob 3a of the opening and shutting unit 3, and also can control opening angles of the horizontal grill members 4 and the vertical grill members 5 simultaneously or respectively, thereby supplying the conditioned air in a desired direction.
However, this conventional vent grill for the vehicle causes several problems. First, since the number of elements constituting the vent grill is too many, and their structures are very complicated, the entire coupling structure of the respective elements becomes complicated, so that the manufacturing process thereof is also complicated and there exists a high possibility in that failure in quality is caused.
Further, since the respective horizontal grill members are crossed with the respective vertical grill members, the entire length of the vent grill lengthens, and thus a large installing space is requested.
Furthermore, since the size including the front and rear length lengthens, an energy is lost from the air supplied from the air purifier, so that there occurs a problem in that air purifying efficiency is lowered.
Accordingly, the present invention is devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and it is an object to provide a vent grill for a vehicle capable of preventing an energy loss of air, decreasing occurrence of trouble, and controlling air in a desired direction in a wide range.
It is another object of the invention to provide a vent grill for a vehicle in which volume thereof decreases and the number of elements and manufacturing processes decrease.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a vent grill for a vehicle having light characteristic in weight, small installing space and high degree of freedom in design thereof.
To accomplish the above objects, there is provided a vent grill for a vehicle installed at one end of a duct connected to an air conditioner of the vehicle, for controlling amount and direction of air supplied to the inside of the vehicle. The vent grill comprises: a cover fixed to said one end of the duct and provided with a circular installing hole and a guide groove formed below the circular installing hole; a main body rotatably installed at the installing hole of the cover, and including an opening through which air is exhausted, plural wings rotatably installed at the opening, an interlocking member connecting the respective wings such that the respective wings are rotated at the same time, and a knob installed at either one of the respective wings; and an opening and shutting unit including a housing provided with a penetration hole which is installed at a rear of the main body, fixed to the cover, surrounding the main body, for penetrating the air, and having a central axis(shaft) formed at a center thereof, a rotational plate rotatably installed at the central axis of the housing, for controlling an opening angle of the penetration hole, and a knob fixed to the rotational plate so as to rotate the rotational plate, and exposed through the guide groove of the cover.